May 2021 Trackside Model Railroading Digital Magazine

Several Modelers' Layouts

No account, sign up here for our Free Edition and discounts.


Various Scales


Make the Most of Tree Armatures

In the May 2021 Issue

Expert Advice for Getting Started in Operations
from Five Layout Owners

Several modelers who have experience hosting operating sessions share some of the things they have learned, including surprises and things they learned the hard way. Their ideas are presented in a question and answer format and in a general sense that should be useful regardless of what era or scale you model. These perspectives are provided by Greg Wright, Bill Messecar, Jerry Boudreaux, and John Dulaney, as well as Mike McGinley, who is more of a railfanner and a retired railroader. You will enjoy their unique approaches and hopefully find a few ideas you can incorporate for yourself.

Photo Tips for Night Scenes
See photographs of evening and night scenes on different layouts of various scales, along with photography tips and the methods used to create the photos (including exposure information).

Make the Most of Tree Armatures
Add a little extra detail to trees for your layout. The sample tree is in HO scale, but the methods can be incorporated in any scale.

John Dulaney & Bill Messecar's HO scale layouts